LARP-writing.

[matt_doyle]

Man.  Twice today while writing characters for the LARP I have wound up with someone far different than I expected on the page.  One of them is a double agent who is probably simply too convoluted, and I'll have to trim their story down so a stranger can pick up the character sheet, look it over for five minutes, and feel good about having a solid grasp of them.

The other is a eunuch.  I hadn't realized until I wrote it up just how heavy and serious a person they would be -- I mean, I wasn't playing their situation up for laughs, but I was basically thinking "here's an intriguing concept" without having done the research or pondered the ramifications.  Now I don't know if I can ask anyone to play the part.  It's not so much that I'd hesitate to ask a dude to play a eunuch (though I'm not sure how many players would jump at the chance, or even not feel offended or uncomfortable if it was handed out to them); but this dude is understandably Serious.  I don't know anyone who would enjoy the experience of spending four to six hours in this guy's head.

On the other hand, he's a cool dude, a total badass, and he has Opinions About Things.  From an authorial standpoint, he's amazing and I love him.

I'm conflicted.

Comments

[ankaret]

I do find your musing on LARPs fascinating. I've never written any but the most basic-motivations characters for other people, and I don't know how I'd react in this situation either. Can you talk to the GMs about whether they have anyone in mind who would enjoy the challenge of playing the eunuch?

[matt_doyle]

Alas, I am the GMs, XD. I have assistant judges to help me out, but this year they are replacements who got voluntold into the jobs when the regulars had a scheduling conflict.

[ankaret]

Oh dear, tricky!

I think, weirdly enough, that people are likely to be less odd about playing eunuchs now that Game of Thrones is such a hit, because there's a major eunuch character in that. (At least in the books - I haven't seen the TV series yet because it's only on over here on a channel we don't get). I can see why the Seriousness would be more of a worry if you're expecting mostly casual gamers. There's no way you can play him yourself as a walk-on?

[matt_doyle]

Nah, it'd be better to edit his character to erase that aspect -- it's me and two inexperienced judges for 32 people, so I don't really have time to NPC anything.

There are probably a couple people I could lean on, and if attendance is low he'll just be one of the cut characters (who often return, rewritten, in later years...)

[ankaret]

it's me and two inexperienced judges for 32 people

Yikes. Best of luck.

I have the Firefly LARP on Saturday and I'm still not wholly sure whether I'm going to be called upon to be part of the jury for a murder trial. Good times.

[matt_doyle]

Sounds like fun!

Usually it's me and two judges for about 24 people, which is actually just about right if you accept going into it that the last half hour of the game is going to run half an hour over as everyone gets one last combat or dramatic finale action arbitrated.